Buzz
You may believe your dog is the greatest of them all. One medieval pet owner took that sentiment quite literally—naming their dog Beste-of-all.
According to Open Culture, this name originates from a 15th-century manuscript cataloging over 1000 hunting dog names. English literature professor David Scott-Macnab of South Africa’s North-West University compiled and published the full list in a 2013 article for the journal Viator.
Surprisingly, many medieval dog names mirror today’s most popular dog names. We have Bella; they had Belle. Their Compaynowne (companion) and Felowe align with our Buddy. We have Bear, while they had Foxe and Mouse—and even Salmon. Our Daisy isn’t far from their Flowre.
These days, you'd be hard-pressed to find a dog named Brainless—or, as it was spelled in medieval times, Brayneles. Back then, people often named their dogs based on their traits. Some got flattering names like Amyable, Harmeles, Trusty, Joliboye, and Pretyman, while others ended up with comically harsh monikers like Helpeles, Filthe, Litillwitte, Synfull, or just plain Badde.
Further proof that medieval pet owners had a sense of humor? Some dogs bore names like Lewde, Lusty, Ribawde, and even Nameles. Others were called Spowse (spouse) and Hosewife (housewife), showing just how playful their naming conventions could be.
One of the most common naming trends, unsurprisingly, revolved around hunting, with names like Bryngehome, Fyndewell, Goodynowze, Kilbucke, and Makehitgood. But the real gems are the quirky ones—names like Argument, Bryan, Feete, and even Garlik.
Below, you’ll find our top 100 picks from the manuscript. (And if you’re looking for inspiration for your next pet, Tom Killeen has created a name generator featuring all 1065 names.)
- Achilles
- Amyable
- Argument
- Baby
- Badde
- Barefote
- Belle
- Beste-of-all
- Birdismowthe
- Blameles
- Bonere
- Brayneles
- Bryan
- Bryngehome
- Careles
- Champyn
- Charlemayne
- Chawnseler
- Christabell
- Compaynowne
- Cowntirfette
- Cruell
- Cunnynge
- Dawngere
- Dolfyn
- Dragon
- Dredefull
- Duchesse
- Dyamound
- Ercules
- Ergo
- Farewell
- Feete
- Felowe
- Filthe
- Flame
- Flowre
- Foxe
- Fyndewell
- Garlik
- Gaweyne
- Go-bifore
- Go-byhynde
- Goodynowze
- Happy
- Harlet
- Harmeles
- Havegoodday
- Helpeles
- Holdefaste
- Holy
- Honydewe
- Hosewife
- Joliboye
- Kilbucke
- Kynysman
- Letego
- Lewde
- Liberall
- Litilboye
- Litillwitte
- Litilman
- Lusty
- Makehitgood
- Monke
- Mouse
- Musike
- Mustarde
- Mynstrell
- Nameles
- Nero
- Noforse
- Nosewise
- Oribull
- Pretiboy
- Pretyman
- Quycke
- Radissche
- Rage
- Ribawde
- Rumbilowe
- Salmon
- Scathelok
- Schakbagge
- Spowse
- Swepestake
- Symple
- Synfull
- Thought
- Trusty
- Tullymully
- Vengeabull
- Vyolette
- Wantone
- Welcome
- Wellyfedde
- Wenche
- Whiteberde
- Wrecche
- Wyseman
